Blower for stoves and fire-places



(No Model.)

L. A. MILLER.

BLOWER FOR STOVES AN-D FIRE PLACES. No. 317,404. Patented May 5,1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEBBEUS'A. MILLER, OF SEWIGKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLOWER FOR. STOVES AND FIRE-PLACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of IittersPatent No. 317,404, dated May 5,1885. Application filed October 6, 1884. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Blowers for Stoves and Fire-Places, of whichimprovements the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front view, in elevation, of a, stove embodying myimprovements, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section through a portion of thefront plate and one of the cover-plates, at the line a: a: of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide a blower by the use of whichthe front of a stove or fire-place may be readily and convenientlyopened and closed to a greater or less degree, as from time to timedesired, for the purpose of varying the draft of the fire and regulatingthe diffusion of heat therefrom in an apartment; and my improvementsconsist in a blower composed of a pair of verticallysliding sections,coupled by flexible connections, and adapted to be moved simultaneouslyin opposite directions and toocover or expose, either wholly or to anydesired extent, the front opening of a stove or fire-place, and also inthe combination, with a stove or fire-place, of a pair ofsuspending-pulleys, journaled in side recesses in the front platethereof, a pair of blower-sections fitting one above the other over anopening located in front of and above the fire-bed, and flexibleconnections passing around the suspending-pulleys and coupled, at theiropposite ends, to the upper and lower sections respectively. Theimprovements claimed are hereinafter fully set forth.

In the practice of my invention I form a blower of two sections, 1 2,which are fitted to slide vertically in the front plate, 3, of a stoveor fire-place, above the grate or fire bed thereof, and over the openingin said front plate through which fuel is introduced, and from which theheat of the fire is radiated into the apartment, said sections beingadapted, by their movement towards or from each other, to close saidopening, either entirely or to any partial extent, as may be desired.The sections 1 2 are located one above the other in the same verticalplane, the lower edge of the upper section, 1, abutting, when thesections are closed together,against the upper edge of the lowersection, 2, and they are made of substantially equal weight, so as tocounterbalance each other and thereby to be susceptible of free verticalmovement, which is imparted through a handle or handles, 4, secured toone or both of the sections. Mica lights or windows 5, fitted in each ofthe sections, permit the illuminating effect of the fire to be exertedin an apartment when the blower is either wholly or partially closed.

The sections 1 2 are adapted to be moved coincidently in oppositedirections by being hung upon two suspending-pulleys, 6, journaled inthe upper portions of side recesses, 7, formed in the front-plate, 3.Chains 8, passing over the pulleys 6, are connected at their oppositeends to lugs or arms 9 10, formed upon the sides of the upper and lowerblower-sections 1 2, respectively, and the sections are therebysuspended on opposite sides so as to obviate tendency to cramping ortilting in their vertical movements, and their free movement andretention in adjusted position are insured by being counterbalanced oneby the other. (lover-plates 11, fitted over the side recesses, 7, serveto protect and conceal the suspending pulleys and chains.

The application of my improvements can be readily made to openfrontstoves or grate fire-places of any of the ordinary constructions; and inthe operation of my invention I avoid the inconvenience incident uponthe use of a removable blower, and enable the area of opening to bereadily varied to increase or decrease draft, and regulate, as desired,the evolution of heat into the apartment. The blowersections rest behindthe front plate when fully opened, offering no impediment to thedischarge of heat or supplying of fuel, and when closed present a neatappearance and finish as part of the front, while by intermediateadjustments the degree of opening presented may be made to accordaccurately with the requirements of heating, and such opening is locatedin the most desirable position relatively to the fire-bed.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. The combination, in a blower forstoves or fire-places, of two sections coupled by flexible connectionsat their sides, said sections being adapted to fit one above another ina vertical plane, and by their simultaneous movement in oppositedirections to cover or to expose the entire or any desired portion ofthe area of front opening of a stove or fireplace, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, with an open-front stove or fireplace, of a pair ofsuspending pulleys journaled to the front plate on opposite sidesthereof, a pair of blower-sections fitting one above the other over ,anopening in said front plate, and chains passing over said pulleys andconnected at their opposite ends to the upper and the lowerblower-sections respectively, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a stove or fire-place front plate having a centralopening and fa lateral recess on each side thereof, a pair ofsuspending-pulleysjournaled in said recesses,

above the other over the opening of the front plate, and having laterallugs or arms projecting into the recesses thereof, chains passing overthe suspending-pulleys and connected at their ends to the lugs of theblower-sections, and cover-plates fitting over the lateral recesses andsecured to the front plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEBBEUS A. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. SNOWDEN BELL, :R. H.WHITTLESEY.

